Annapolis
is a charming, historic city that occupies a small peninsula between Spa and
College Creeks on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Approached from the land side it is bustling
and busy with narrow, cobbled streets.
Approached from the sea it is the definition of maritime mayhem.
We spent
a leisurely day motoring up the bay from Solomons, MD to arrive at the
Annapolis Town Mooring Field around 1500 hours on a Friday afternoon. The field was already pretty full, mostly
sailboats, but we located one of the few vacant yellow mooring balls reserved
for boats over 45 feet in length. As is
our custom, I nudged Let's Dance gently forward as Bill expertly wielded the
boat hook to pick up the pennant attached to the mooring ball. Lucky for us it was at the edge of the field
of bobbing boats -- we were within yards of the city docks, the sights of
downtown and the Naval Academy campus.
We have arrived!
The
weather is superb, and the first job is to loose the Love Me Tender so we can
putter into town or around the bays and creeks that line her perimeter. Also, of course, there is food to be
considered, and after a few minutes of research we decide on Middleton's for
dinner. Scallops and stuffed flounder do
not disappoint and the imaginary foodie bar we erected the week before
continues to rise.
After
dinner we return to the boat to watch the show!
From our floating vantage point we can monitor the parade of commercial
boats that come and go --- ferries, water taxis, sailing charters and even a
pirate ship full of miniature sailors and wenches. But the real treat is the blatant
ego-tripping of power boaters who rev their motors as they maneuver the narrow
passage between the mooring field and the town docks. It is called "Ego Alley" by the
locals, and is reminiscent of teens in the 50's strutting their stuff on the
local drag.
Saturday
morning we decide to tour the Naval Academy -- after all, we are mariners,
too. Maybe we can get some tips! We dinghy ashore and walk to the Visitor's
Gate, pass the ID test, clear security and go inside. They have a nice movie and, for the low
senior's rate of $9 per person, we are signed up to tour the campus with Drew
as our guide -- oddly, he's an ex-Army grad.
It is
immediately evident that the USNA and Let's Dance have a lot in common -- for
example, they love goats, we (well, just me actually) love goats.
There are
many variations on the story of how the Navy got a goat for a mascot, but my
favorite is that early sailors kept goats on board to eat the garbage and to
provide fresh milk and butter. Early
multi-taskers. Also, the Navy named
their goat "Bill" -- how is that for coincidental? We both keep a Billy on board.
As we
tour the campus we are struck by the similarities between the life of a
midshipman and our nautical personae.
They study seamanship, we study seamanship. They sleep in berths, we
sleep in berths. They wear snappy
uniforms, we wear....well.
They
honor John Paul Jones, hero of the American Revolution, as the Father of the
Navy, we humbly agree. And, wow, what a
tomb they designed for the old guy!
Most
significantly, however, we share the same motto:
It was a
super tour and a fun return visit to Annapolis.
Bill topped off the stay with a much-needed haircut at the Capistrano
Barbershop. Gerard did the honors, and I
was there to supervise.
After
Annapolis, we crossed the bay to spend a few days in the little village of Rock
Hall on the eastern shore. Finally, we
have vaulted over the culinary bar! Bill
finds the best crab cake sandwich on the bay at The Kitchen -- a six table, mom
and pop gem right there on Main Street Rock Hall! Yum!!
So now
the summer tour of the Chesapeake is a wrap.
Let's Dance is back at the dock in Deltaville, VA with the Love Me
Tender nestled snugly on her deck.
Captain Bill and I are off to the Galapagos Islands without them because,
let's face it, at 6 knots, it could potentially take over 433 hours of non-stop
excitement.......we'll leave that voyage to the Navy!
When we
return from our busman's holiday, Bill will captain Let's Dance back to
Charleston where she will rest up until January when the adventures of 2014
will begin. Until then,
Let's
Dance......Carol and Bill
